Tape dispenser



C. A. HANINGTON TAPE DISPENSER I Filed July 1. 1949 Sept. 9, 1952 Patented Sept. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE I 2,609,877 v a TAPE DISPENSER Charles A. Hanington, Freeport, N. Y. Application July 1, 1949, Serial No. 102,555 a to the tacky nature of the tape, and have to resort to digging at the endthereof, with their finger nails to free it after use after said end is located, usually with difliculty due to the transparent nature of the tape. After cutting off What they wish, the free end securely fastens itself to the rolland again must be dug free in a time and patience consuming operation.

There are dispensers of one kind or another available for the large 4 /2", economy roll which maintains the loose end of the tape accessible, but they are clumsy or heavy, the weight being necessary to keep the dispenser from sliding toward the puller when the tape is being drawn from the roll. While these dispensers operate satisfactorily if the users work allows him to keep within easy reach of the dispenser, it is not at all, handy for the user who must move around a draughting table or work bench or counter or has occasion to use the tape many times and at varying distances from the dispenser because the dispenser is too heavy and cumbersome and requires a firm base for support and hence does not lend itself to odd jobs. Also in the metal holders used, the sides grip the roll "when the holders are held between the fingers and the tape cannot be withdrawn because the roll is prevented from rotating.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a handy portable dispenser that can be applied to and carried by the roll of tape and becomes an integral part thereof until the contents are all used, after which it can be removed and applied to a fresh roll; to provide a dispenser that is small, light in weight, simple of construction, can be made from one or two pieces of material, either light metal or plastic; to one that, with the roll, can be laid any place, hung up, or carried in the pocket of a workmans apron with the loose end of the tape held in position for instant use; to provide a tape holding edge that is far enough away from the roll to provide easy access to the free end of the tape by the fingers; to provide a dispenser that maintains itself on the periphery of the roll, yet allows free 6 Claims. (01. 1 4-845) pulling rotary motion of the roll to the tape. to be torn off for use and to provide a dispenser that can be made at small cost, can

beused with rolls of various width and. diameter and one which can be readily attached to a full roll and detached from an exhausted roll of tape without complicated manipulation.

With these and other objects in View, the invention comprises certain construction hereinafter described and then particularly. pointed out in the claims and a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which: 7

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing my .improved dispenserin use with tape being drawn therefrom,

FigureZ is a view similar to Figure 1 with the tape being severed,

Figure 3 is a view in perspective showingv the construction'of the dispenser,

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 1 but shdwor pressure spring shown in Figure 5.

Referring to the drawing in detail I0 indicates a roll of pressure sensitive tape from which an end portion H is drawn and severed from the roll for use. The tape is wound on a cardboard ring l2 and when the strip of tape is pulled on to release it from the roll the latter is rotated a distance equal to the length of the piece to be drawn and severed. i My improved dispenser consists primarily, of a piece or blank of suitable material such as metal or plastic generally indicated as at M and preferably stamped out or molded to delineate an outer body of thumb rest section l5,"suitably rounded at its rear edge as at I6; and shaped to provide flanking scalloped or plain flanges I! and E8, the scallops IQ of which'permit'the body I5 to be bent into arcuate shape to coincide with the curvature of the average roll of tape. At its forward edge the blank is provided with aftongue 20, and the sidefiange lflpresents atone end an arcuate elbow portion 2| terminating in a pressure arm 22 having a tab end 23, the opposite or forward end of the flange being shaped to provide a side guard 24 terminating in a laterally extending blade 25 having a serrated edge 26. The parts are arranged to be shaped by bending or folding on the fold indicating lines 21.

The blank of Figure 5 has all of the counterparts of Figure 6 designated as at A, [9A, A, ZIA, 22A, 23A, 24A, 25A, 26A and 21A; with the exception that the pressure arm 22A is made as a perforated separate unit, tempered to shape for exerting spring pressure as shown in Figure .8 and adapted to be riveted or otherwise secured to the perforated tab portion 23, along'with a fold 29 delineating a shelf 33] boundin the serrated edge 26A of the blade 25A.

In forming, the tongue 26 is rolled or curled to provide a rounded front dash surface against which the tape being drawn off the roll has easy sliding movement; the flanges I1 and 18 are bent downwardly at right angles to the body 15'; the

blade 25 is bent obliquely to the guard 24 so that it lies laterally of the roll and spaced thereabove; "the arm 22 bent on its obliquely disposed .fold will assume an inclined position beneath the body [I5 so that the spring end '23 can yi'eld'ably enstrip or ring on which the tape is mounted, the

spring being positioned substantially mid-width of the roll by its supporting tab 28 (Fig. 5') or its counterpart of Figure 6 which is formed integrally with the arm' 22; and the shelf being formed by bending the serrated edge of the blade along the line '29.

The guard 24 is an extension piece'which holds the tape cutter far enough away from the body of the roll so that, as seen in Figure 3, the free end of the tape can be easily gripped by the fingers for subsequent withdrawal.

In using, the dispenser is held in the fingers, with the roll of tape free to revolve within the dispenser. The tape ispulled outwardly from under the curled lip, and drawn out between the cuttin edge and the curled lip but kept clear of the cutting edge. When the desired amount is pulled out, the tape is drawn down and sideways against the serrated cutting edge. This action cuts off the desired amount and causes the remaining free end to adhere to the edge of the extended cutter, so that it'is in position to be readily grasped again when another length is needed. The main body of the dispenser is curved to conform with the outside diameter of a full roll of tape. The purpose of the underneath spring member, is to hold the roll up between the side flanges of the main body and to compensate for the reduction in thickness of the roll, as the tape is used. The spring member is formed in a T shape so that the spring tension will not "be too great, yet it will exert pressure across the full width of the dispensenpermitting rolls of various widths to be-used.

It will be noted that the shelf 30 of the serrated cutter-or blade is sharpened on its under edge-as at 3| to facilitate clean and easy severance of the tape H, and that the shelf 30 is in the same :plane as the tape when the latter is pressed thereon in cutting. Hence the shelf forms afia t' surfaced ledge to which the remain- .ing end (of the tape adheres and by which "it is securely held from accidental release. When' the dispenser is heldin the fingers during with- .drawa'l .of the tape the rotation of the roll can 7 be closely controlled and the tape drawn off straight and undistorted.

It will be understood that this dispenser is intended for the big 4 rolls particularly because there are handy dispensers for the small rolls of tape with a 1" core for tape Varying in length from to about 360 inches to the roll and in different widths. The dispensers come in a couple of widths for use with refills but a wider tape cannot be used in the narrow dispenser nor can a narrow tape be used in a wide dispenser. These small 1 core handy dispensers are satisfactory for the small rolls but if they are increased in size to handle the 3" core 4 rolls they would be quite cumbersome and unhandy. It is evident that the plain cutting edge or the shouldered cutting edge can be used with the single piece dispenser or with the one using the separate spring strip. The one piece type can be made entirely of spring metal and tempered after forming. It is evident also that the cut end of the tape will adhere to the plain cutting edge.

My invention is not to be restricted to the precise detailsof'construction shown since various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing the advantages to be derived from its use.

What 'I claim is:

l. A dispensing implement for use with pressure sensitive tape wound about a ring to form a roll and through which the roll rotates by a pull on the free end of the tape, which consists of a blank shaped to provide a body section, depending portions on said body, an elongated spring arm carried by one of said depending portions for yieldable engagement with the inner periphery of said ring for detachably positioning the implement on the roll sojthat said portions lie along the sides of the roll, a carrier extending forwardly from said body section, an upwardly and outwardly directed blade at the end of the carrier over which the tape pass-es for severing the tape in sections as it is drawn from the roll, and said body and said spring arm coacting under variable finger squeezing pressure to control the speed of rotation of the roll when tape is being withdrawn therefrom.

2. A dispensing implement of the character set forth in claim 1 including a curled tape pull-off guide on the forward edge of said body section. V

3. A dispensing implement of the character set forth in claim 1 including a shelf integral with said blade and serrated to provide a tape severing ledge .to which the severed .end of the tape adheres.

4. A dispensing implement of the character set'forth in claim 1 in which the blade is positioned forwardly of and in spaced relation with the end of .said body section and a shelf having a serrated edge on said blade'disposed substantially at .the angle assumed by the tape when the latter is drawn off the roll for severance along said edge.

5. A dispensing implement for use with pressure sensitive tape wound about a ring to form a roll and through which the roll rotates by a pull on the free end of the tape, which consists of a blank shaped to provide a body portion, flangesfianking the sides of said body portion, for confining the roll therebetween, the front and rear ends'of said body portion being curled, one of said flanges being extended at opposite ends thereof to provide an elbow portion and a side guard, a springarm carried by the elbow por tion adapted to engag h nn r p ip ry of the roll and detachably mount the implement thereon, a blade at the end of the guard disposed laterally of the roll and in spaced relation from the forward end of said body, a shelf on said 7 blade disposed substantially at the angle assumed by the tape when the latter is drawn oif the roll and thereover, a serrated tape severing edge on said shelf, and said body being arcuately shaped to conform substantially to the external contour of the roll, and said body and spring arm coacting under variable finger squeezing pressure to control the speed of rotation of the roll when tape is being withdrawn therefrom.

6. A dispensing implement of the character set 15 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,811,945 Lange June 30, 1931 2,229,961 Deane Jan. 28, 1941 2,262,260 Smith Nov. 11, 1941 2,267,335 Kiessling Dec. 23, 1941 2,284,807 Donahoo et a1 June 2, 1942 2,401,286 Wright May 28, 1946 2,472,761 Reed June 7, 1949 2,523,958 Johnson Nov. 7, 1950 

